I went on a last minute vacation to the trendy El San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico with my parents. I had just moved back to there home in Roslyn on the North Shore of Long Island after I left my first husband after 14 months of newlywed hell.

I was barely 26 years old when my divorce was final and was suddenly single for the first time in my life since I was seventeen. Even though my parents were happy the marriage was over because they never liked the guy, I could tell they were not too thrilled to have their “little princess” back living in their house.

They had a plan, take me away to Puerto Rico, a week after I moved back home, and hopefully I would meet someone. Really? Was that even possible? My mom who claimed to have phychic abilities must have received a sign! Lol!

The first night in Puerto Rico my parents went to bed and left me alone at a blackjack table with a couple of black chips each worh a hundred dollars. I remember getting strange looks from the other players who eyed my black chips probably thinking why I was sitting at a blackjack table with a ten dollar minimum bet.

I looked totally clueless and I guess I was because it was a few years since I played blackjack. The basic rules like don’t hit on 17 etc I remembered and It wasn’t until a few vodka shots and about five hands later I noticed a really cute dark haired guy smiling at me across the table.

Then I suddenly remember getting dealt really bad cards and not quite knowing whether to take a hit or not, this cute stranger was trying to offer his advice. Then the person playing next to me got up and the cute guy got up and sat next to me.

So we played blackjack and flirted through every hand. I found out his name was “David” who happened to be a lawyer and lived in a condo in NYC.

We took the elevator to my floor located on the penthouse and he was impressed. I informed him My parents were seasoned gamblers and were treated like royalty at this hotel. We had a few cocktails at the private bar on my hotel floor. He kissed me and it felt so right.

At about three in the morning I went back to my hotel room and my mom was furious at me for coming in so late. I told her mom “I met a cute 31yr old lawyer from NYC.” She suddenly calmed down and smiled. Maybe my mom is really phychic ?????

I moved into David’s penthouse condo six months later and was engaged to him within a year I was living like Carrie Bradshaw having sex in the city without the drama.

In my previous post I mentioned at the age of 18 I met Jeff at a party and he became my first ” serious” boyfriend. Okay I have to admit here he wasn’t my first lover. I lost my virginity the previous summer while staying in the Hampton’s with somebody I barely knew except he was cute and had a red corvette. He didn’t even know I was a virgin we were both too drunk. Looking back i was embarrassed to admit to my “cool” friends I was still a virgin.
Do I regret that night? Not really, except I cringe till this day whenever I here the song by Prince, “Little Red Corvette.”
When Jeff and I made love for the first time in the bedroom of his North Shore Jericho house I was not drunk and it felt like my very first time.
I always felt like a little slut whenever we went back to his house and bumped into his divorced single mom who usually was entertaining another lady I noticed as we ignored them and went upstairs. It became obvious Jeff was going through a lot of pain that he hid from most of the world and always “seemed” happy and
carefree. In other words he was just like me in many ways. How ironic?
Jeff was still had severe unresolved issues when his father. a Coca-Cola executive suddenly left his family almost penniless when he ran off with his secretary a fews years prior.
His mom worked full time at Ace Hardware as a store manager in order to support Jeff and his older sister, Jen, who he was really close too.
It was the 1980’s so we didn’t even talk about the fact his mom became a lesbian. It was clear to me this subject was taboo to Jeff.
Jeff was a body builder with the hugest biceps I ever saw . a talented swimmer and diver who had so trophies that decorated his small bedroom. Jeff like me was working as a lifeguard the summer that we met.
Jeff loved to come over my house and got along so well with my parents and family. He used to joke to my father that if he married me could he work for him in his very prosperous corrugated box and shipping supply company. I felt great that summer spending so much time with Jeff and I knew we were meant to meet for a reason….